Setting Up Windows Mail

When you first set up Windows Vista, you probably set up your e-mail account at the same time. However, if you didn't set up the account, or if you want to add newsgroups or another e-mail account, you can easily make changes to the Windows Mail setup.

Set Up Your E-Mail Account

Click the Start button, and choose Windows Mail from the Start menu. If this is the first time you've started Windows Mail, a wizard will start to help you set up your e-mail account.

Step through the wizard, specifying

• Your name as you want it displayed in your e-mail.

• Your e-mail address.

• The type of incoming mail server (POP3 or IMAP, for example) that you obtained from your service provider.

• The addresses of the incoming and outgoing e-mail servers, if they haven't already been supplied.

• Your e-mail account name (usually the same as your e-mail address) and your password.

• Whether your e-mail provider requires you to log on using Secure Password Authentication.

• Whether you want to download all your mail from your mail server.

Tip

In case you're wondering, POP3 is Post Office Protocol 3, IMAP is Internet Message Access Protocol, HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and NNTP is Network News Transfer Protocol. Now you know!

See Also

"Transferring Files and Settings" on pages 238239 for information about transferring your Windows Mail settings and messages from another computer.

Add an Account

In Windows Mail, choose Accounts from the Tools menu to display the Internet Accounts dialog box.

Click Add.

Choose the type of account you want.

Step through the wizard as you did when you set up your first account. If you're adding a news account, specify the newsgroup account server instead of your e-mail server.

Close the Internet Accounts dialog box when you've finished.

Tip

Gather up all your account information from your ISP before you set up your e-mail account. Mail protocols and server names can be complex and confusing.

Tip

You can't access Web-based mail, such as Hotmail or Windows Live Mail accounts, using Windows Mail, but you can download and use Windows Live Mail Desktop from Microsoft to access these and other accounts.